Like a Stranger
by meltina
Summary: Zelda's first meeting with Prince Marth during the Super Smash Brothers tournament.
1. Chapter 1

**Like a Stranger**

**Obligatory Disclaimer:** I don't own any of these characters nor am I making any money off of them.  
**Author's Notes:** Decided to give Super Smash Brothers Melee fanfiction a shot. Please tell me what you think of this. Obviously, this is going to be the first chapter…

***  
  


There was an eerie tranquility in the convenient breeze blowing about the Hyrulian temple---rather, what *used* to be a temple. Crumbled Doric-style colonnades and chunks of large edifices lay scattered throughout the area while the remaining ones stood proudly, as if time and erosion hadn't affected them at all. If Zelda didn't know any better, she'd say she was home and not standing in a holographic rendition of Hyrule. 

_Looks exactly like the real thing_, she mused thoughtfully.

"Zelda, Zelda, Zelda. Always contemplating," an amused voice lingered some distance behind her, breaking the silence and startling her all at once.

The Princess of Hyrule turned about face quickly. She sighed with relief at the sight of the familiar face. Of course, how could she forget it? "Oh, Fox, you startled me," she said as she softly patted her hand against her sternum once. 

Fox McCloud ran a gloved hand through the tawny fur along the back of his neck, chuckling. "Didn't mean to." He paused and took a moment to glance around the multi-leveled battle arena. "You're here early… Are you supposed to be on my team?"

"Afraid not…" Zelda tipped a blonde eyebrow. "Didn't you pay attention to the announcements this morning?"

"I was so caught up in breakfast that I didn't catch the announcement. Falco had to remind me that I had to fight today." Sheepishly, Fox scuffed his boots against the temple's ground and chuckled again. 

Zelda found herself giggling along with him. In spite of the fact that Fox was her opponent for this particular match, the renard was one of the first and few participants of this Super Smash Brothers Tournament she had befriended. When she first spotted him during the opening ceremonies, she had thought he was a Keaton, a popular creature of Hyrule thought to be nothing but a myth. She had approached him almost instantly with childlike naivety. After Link had introduced her to Fox McCloud, Zelda learned that he was very easy to get along with and had acted like any denizen of Hyrule and was *not* a Keaton, contrary to her initial beliefs. He was a charismatic, easy-going, confident and friendly…fox.

It was a shame she had to be set against him for her first tournament match. But as Link told her, fighting a comrade was a part of the tournament---there was no way around it, at times. The Super Smash Brothers veterans expected and welcomed that possibility with open arms. Zelda knew she was going to have to do the same some day, no matter how much she did not want to fight Fox. 

_With his incredible speed and skills, he'd make a wonderful teammate. _"By the way, you're with Kirby and Luigi," she told him.

"Hm. The pink marshmallow and the second half of the Italian Plumbers… What a combination." Fox smirked. "Who are you paired with?"

"A pair by the name of Roy and Marth."

"Roy and Marth? Who are they?"

"Your guess is as good as mine."

Fox shrugged. "In any case, I wish you luck, Princess Zelda." He extended his hand towards her, a sincere smile playing about his face.

Zelda smiled and slipped her smaller and more delicate hand into his. "And I you, Fox."

They nodded and shook hands. Then they chatted briefly as they waited for their teammates to show up. The incredibly cute and versatile Kirby was the first to appear; he was another being Zelda had befriended previously. He was his usual cheerful and jovial pink self, thank the Three Goddesses.

Minutes after Kirby's appearance, the younger of the infamous 'Super Mario' brothers traipsed up to the center of the battle area, apologizing for being a little late after noticing Kirby and Fox. Zelda didn't know him so he was not spared an analytical glance. He looked rather tired. Zelda decided she was going to exploit that come their match.

The three members of the opposing team bade Zelda good luck before heading to their designated starting points at the far east end of the area. The Princess remained alone on the west end, waiting underneath a horizontal platform resting on four pillars for her teammates.

**Five minutes until the start of the match!**

Zelda panicked. Her opponents weren't there yet!

As if reading her thoughts, the tournament announcer's voice rang out loudly from speakers: **Zelda, if your team does not show up, you'll have to fight Team Fox alone.**

Not knowing where to direct her voice, Zelda shouted out at the heavens: "But three against one is not fair!"

**Rules are rules.** Zelda frowned. **The most I could do for you is offer you either plenty of power-up items or an everlasting Magic Mushroom.**

Zelda forced herself to relax, although with a huff and a sigh. How dare her so-called teammates show her up! She was definitely going to complain about this later…

She silently, and quickly, weighed out her options. She had seen the various power-up items before and although they seemed useful, a lot of them were too bizarre for her. She didn't want to have to spend her time on the match learning how to use that weird gray thing Fox called a 'Super Scope'. But by the same token, she wasn't exactly ready to become 'Giant Zelda' either---especially after seeing Giant Donkey Kong in action. 

Before she got the chance to voice her decision, a pair of teleporting pods descended from above. **Looks like they're here after all, Zelda!** The announcer's voice echoed throughout the temple.

Zelda waited for the two persons to materialize and hop down from the pods, as patiently as a princess. She had a bone to pick with them.

* * *

**A/N:** I appreciate feedback. No flames please. Thanks.  ;)

**Omake:** Go here for one of my favorite Marth pictures! http://www.kyokusanagi.com/marth.jpg  
And for a neat helmet-less Samus Aran pic, go here: http://members.tripod.com/capgrass/cn_com_scn_cn1_17.html


	2. Chapter 2

Like a Stranger  
part two!

**Obligatory Disclaimer: **Nintendo owns everything, I don't.**   
Author's Notes: **A big ol' thank you and kiss goes out to everyone who has reviewed Chapter One for me! ^_^ You guys ROCK!  
**Oh Yeah…:** In Chapter one, towards the end, I wrote, "Her opponents weren't there yet!" --- that was a brain fart on my part (hey, that rhymes). It was supposed to be teammates, not opponents. I apologize for any confusion this may have caused. ^^;

****

Any vehement words Zelda had in store for her delayed teammates were cut short when she was approached by one of them. From far away, she could discern his clothing, which was not outlandish in comparison to the dress in her homeland of Hyrule; he wore a blue-violet cape, cobalt armor laced with gold, and white trousers.

As he neared her, it was easier for Zelda to make out his features. He looked no older than fifteen years of age with a handsome, youthful visage and a wiry build. His most noticeable feature was his unruly-looking dark auburn hair kept somewhat 'tame' by a gold and sapphire forehead ornament. In one of his hands, he held a sword that was no longer than Link's infamous Master Sword.

If not for his short ears, sort of like that of a Gerudo's, she would have assumed he was a Hylian.

He finally reached her, his cerulean eyes wide in amazement. By now, Zelda had gotten used to receiving such looks from strangers---it was a given, considering she was the princess of an exotic land. 

"A-are you…Zelda?"

She nodded.

"I'm Roy, one of your partners for this match," he nodded his head, meekly, in greeting. "Sorry 'bout being late. Marth and I ended up somewhere else. There was a miscommunication…"

"Marth…? Where is he?"

"Oh, yeah, he's over there sizing up the competition." Roy pointed to some distance behind his shoulder with his thumb. 

Curiously, Zelda peered at the indicated direction. She had to squint some, but she was able to make out the form of a young man, with the same type of build as Roy, although a bit taller. His back was to her, showing off the faint slate designs on his gorgeous royal blue cloak and a head of hair of the same color. He too carried a sword.

She was instantly intrigued.

"I see… Well, it's good that you're here, Roy. I was afraid the match was going to start without you two."

"Eh heh!" Roy chuckled, sheepishly. He rubbed the back of his head and put on a boyish grin that made the reserved Zelda break into a grin. "So, do you have any ideas?"

Zelda's golden eyebrows furrowed. "Ideas?"

"Yeah. Do you have a planned strategy for fighting these people? I figured I'd ask since I don't know them…"

"Oh." Zelda tucked an unkempt strand of her hair behind her pointed ear. She realized she didn't have a planned strategy. "Nothing really. I was planning on going after Luigi, the plumber in green."

"So it's a free-for-all, then?"

"Something like that."

"Alright!" Roy grinned widely and turned to jet towards Marth to tell him the news.

"Wait…!" Zelda's voice halted the young swordsman in his tracks. He skidded along the rock surface and glanced over his shoulder at the princess. "The other two, Kirby and Fox, are my friends… Can you take it easy on them?"

Sheer confusion was evident in Roy's face. "But if we do, we won't advance any further in the tournament…"

A soft sigh eschewed from Zelda's lips. "I know," she uttered, "but I don't want them seriously hurt."

Seeing the genuine look of distraught breaking through the ice-cold and serious countenance expected of princesses, Roy acquiesced. "Alright. I'll tell Marth," he said. "Let's do our best!"

The warmth of Roy's enthusiasm made Zelda's worries melt. She felt more confident with having him on her team. She smiled and nodded towards him before the youth jogged in the direction of his blue-haired partner. From her spot underneath the stone canopy, she saw Roy utter something to Marth, who glanced her way and back to his friend. He nodded and both warriors drew their swords.

**One minute until the start of the match!**

Zelda remained where she was. Unlike Roy and Marth, she didn't drop into an automatic fighting stance for she didn't possess one in particular. Instead, she stood as still as she could be, controlling her breathing patterns and keeping her arms at her sides while making sure not to lock her knees. Although butterflies were swarming in her stomach, she had to represent tranquility for if she were to reveal her anxiety towards the opposition, the match would be over for her. That was a tip she had learned from her nursemaid Impa, a Sheikah gifted in the art of battle. 

As she mentally counted down the remaining sixty seconds, Zelda hoped all of Impa's training would pay off.

**Ready?**

Nayru, Din, and Farore. Grant me wisdom, strength, and courage… 

**Go!**

A soft wind picked up the second before the assembled combatants sprinted forth towards their opponents, their spirits fueled by the glory of battle. To Zelda, a tenderfoot when it came to such a battle, it was amazing. Her knees almost buckled from underneath her but somehow, she kept her ground. She decided to stay where she was, playing a bit of a porcupine game; as soon as an opponent got to close to her, she'd attack. It was her safest bet considering her lack of physical strength was evident in her delicate looking body. 

To get closer to the action, however, Zelda neared the crevice in the ground which led to the lower levels of the temple's structure. She couldn't see but could hear the child-like voice of Kirby and the tenor-voice of Marth battling below. In the north, she caught a glimpse of Fox McCloud and Roy in their own fray. The renard was dishing out kicks that looked like nothing but blurs while the swordsman hopped and counterattacked at any time he wasn't being pummeled by those lightning-fast attacks. As she had hoped, she wasn't fighting Kirby or Fox.

But where is Luigi? 

As if in response to Zelda's internal query, a white glove balled into a tight fist sprang up from the hole in the ground; followed by the fist was the rest of Luigi Mario's body. His fist grazed the princess' soft cheek with an intensity she hadn't felt since her days of training with Impa. Her eyes widened as she regarded the calm, blue-sky overhead. She was down?

Natural instinct kicked in, and before Zelda knew what she was doing, she was rolling backwards and into a kneeling position, ready to strike out. Her narrowed blue eyes were focused on the form of the plumber advancing towards her. When Luigi was a good two feet in front of her, Zelda swung both of her long legs out in a wide arc, catching the Italian off guard and sweeping his legs out from underneath him. Luigi rolled backwards with the blow. He would have fallen into the hole that led to the temple's lower regions if he hadn't held on for dear life to the ledge.

He grunted and climbed back onto the same ground level with Zelda. She eyed him carefully, waiting for him to make the next move. And that he did. He extended his palm and a faint glow surrounded it. Although the glow was an unnatural green, there was no mistaking its fire-like blaze or the smell of smoke arising from it. Luigi's palm spat out a materialized ball of emerald fire towards Zelda. The Hyrulian princess would have been singed severely; luckily, with her lightweight body came the advantage of speed and quick reflexes. She leapt skywards, avoiding the fireball in its entirety and landed on top of the stone canopy she had been standing under a few minutes prior.

The platform was sturdy enough to carry her weight, thank the Three Goddesses, so she didn't have to worry about it collapsing underneath her. Her trained eyes caught a glimpse of a glowing pink blade. She smiled widely at her immediate fortune. The tournament committee had dropped a Beam Sword! She immediately reached for it.

~ Flashback ~

_"Link, what's that?" _

_It was a few days prior to the official start of the Smash Brothers Tournament and Link, Zelda's good friend and a veteran of the tournament, had given her a tour of the tournament's locale. The two Hylians had stopped at a museum that showcased the various items used in the tournament, including a peculiar looking pink…thing._

_"Huh? Oh, that's a Beam Sword."_

_Zelda peered closely at the peculiar item in Link's grasp. At first glance, it looked like a sword handle with a soft pink light above it. "It looks more like a candle or a knife of pink liquid than a sword to me," she commented._

_Link chuckled. "That's the whole point of it. It looks like it's nothing but a harmless and eye-catching object, but in reality, it is a very lethal sword; it lengthens and swings with a power in direct proportion to whomever is wielding it…"_

_That caught Zelda's interest. Demonstratively, Link took the Beam Sword in hand and swung it away from his body and the princess'. Zelda marveled at how the sword's translucent blade extended to twice its initial length. It made a funny whirring sound when it sliced through the air, too._

_"Can you give me a rundown on how to use it?" she asked him._

_"Sure. You hold the sword by its handle firmly in one hand…"_

~ End of Flashback ~

By the time Luigi was teetering near the westernmost edge of the temple's area, he had lost count of how many times he had fallen victim to a swipe of the Beam Sword. Zelda's prowess with it had overwhelmed him so much that the plumber didn't get a chance to attack her after his failed attempt at a fireball. He had underestimated her; he was tired and was acting slapdash---now, he was suffering the consequences.

Zelda had exerted all of the physical strength she had into a quick but strong overhead swing, knowing that it was the last of such swings she could make before the Beam Sword's energy would dissipate forever, leaving her weaponless and taking away her advantage over Luigi. 

The Three Goddesses of Hyrule had granted her wishes for she had connected solidly with Luigi. The Beam Sword's blade struck, rather than sliced, against the Italian's battered body, shoving him violently off the edge of the stage like a powerful gale. He was going…going…gone!

**Luigi eliminated!**

Zelda tossed the blade-less Beam Sword aside, and smiled a relieved smile. She was rather proud of herself. Not only did she not have to resort to using magical attacks, she didn't have to transform into her alter ego either!

_Now, if only my teammates are as successful as I was_… 

Zelda strongly believed in a fair fight, so when she turned about face and headed to where the others were, she decided to not interfere and watch them instead. She knew she would have points deducted for such an act, even if it was a dishonorable thing to do. _Forget the points_, she thought, _I'm not about to gang up on_---

**Kirby eliminated!**

At first, Zelda did not know how to react when that announcement interrupted her thoughts. Part of her was glad that her team had only one more opponent to eliminate before they were declared the winners while the other part felt a small knot of guilt within her stomach.

During her reverie, the princess didn't notice the events that unfolded before her.

Fox and Roy's battle had led them near the western area where Zelda had finished dueling with Luigi. The nimble Roy had jumped over Fox just in time to cleverly avoid the head-on collision the latter's signature Fox Illusion would have made. The move was notorious for its incredible speed and momentum and its incredible results. However, it was also known for its uncontrollability and kamikaze aspects. Basically, once Fox bolted forward at the start of the move, the only thing that could stop him was either a stationary person or object in his path. 

That stationary person, in this case, was Zelda!

From a good distance away, Roy gawked with horror. "Zelda! Watch out!"

Zelda didn't have time to react to Roy's shout, which startled her out of her trance. She blinked and saw that Fox was on a one way course towards her; if he managed to impact against her lightweight body, she'd either get seriously hurt or sent flying off the ledge, or both. Too stunned and realizing it was too late to move out of the way, Zelda braced herself for what was to come.

There was a sudden flash of indigo followed by added weight against her body. With her initial surprise, Zelda instinctively squeezed her eyes shut. However, rather than flying backwards off the ledge as she had thought she was going to, she felt her body moving to the side with a few graceless tumbles and skids along the rugged terrain. The quick and nauseating motions finally came to an end when Zelda, whose eyes were kept shut through the entire ordeal, found herself on top of something that felt like molded steel. But still warm, still flesh and blood…

**Fox eliminated!**

Slowly, Zelda pried open her eyes. 

**GAME!**

Azure met azure. 

She was fretfully staring into the eyes of Marth.

Zelda realized Marth had tackled her out of harm's way. "A-are you alright?" he whispered. 

His chocolaty breath felt warm against her neck. They were *that* close.

Zelda didn't reply. She *couldn't* reply. She was awestruck, absently using their proximity to her advantage and studying Marth's every feature. His breaths came out as short, stunted pants. Several indigo-tinted strands were plastered to his forehead with sweat. The heat of the battle was still evident in the rosy color of his cheeks. And his delicate face…

"Zelda?" he asked her again, more urgently this time.

Zelda noticed a small trail of blood trickling down the side of his face. "You're bleeding," she whispered.

"Yeah…"

A frantic Roy ran up to the strewn duo, out of breath. "Zelda! Are you okay!?"

"I'm fine," the princess replied. _I think…_

"Marth?"

"My ribs have had better days, but otherwise, I'm…-ngh!-… hunky dory."

"Oh," the redhead breathed a sigh of relief, his hand to his sternum. "Thank Heaven…"

The three remained quiet until Roy broke the silence with his realization and abrupt outburst. "Ack!" He flailed his arms wildly. "Zelda! Don't just lay there on top of him!"

"Huh?" Zelda blinked at Roy then peered down at Marth again. She had almost forgotten she was still on top of him! Not only that, his limber and protective arms were still coiled about her waist.

Attacked by a sudden case of embarrassment, a blushing Marth removed his arms from around the blushing Zelda. The princess got up to her feet first and daintily dusted herself off. She and Roy then helped the injured prince up to his feet.

**Team Zelda, prepare to be transported back to HQ. The teleporting pods are waiting.**

"That's our cue," Roy uttered. "We'd better head back. Pronto."

The youngest of the trio began to help his partner towards the nearest teleporting pod and Zelda followed suite, all the while thinking of the seemingly intimate moment she had shared with this stranger Marth.

****

**A/N:** So, whatcha think? ^^; I'm thinking of ending it here, by the way.  
mature@fanfiction.net


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